The people behind the papers – Stephen DiNardo and Gabriela Vida

Stem cells exist within a niche, a microenvironment that regulates their activity, but the mechanisms by which niche cells influence stem cell behaviour are poorly understood. In this issue, Stephen DiNardo and colleagues reveal that the shape of the adult Drosophila testes niche, which is dependent on the cytoskeleton of the niche cells, is crucial to maintaining germinal stem cell function. To learn more about this work, we spoke to first author Gabriela Vida and corresponding author Stephen DiNardo, Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology at the University of Pennsylvania, USA.